Hosiery stacking machine



Sept. 10, 1957 'r. H. DE SPAIN 2,805,804

HOSIERY STACKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1954 e Sheets-Sheet 1 730070: bf 06 J ba/b ATTORNEYS Sept. 10, 1957 T. H. DE SPAIN HOSIERY STACKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 12, 1954 INVENTOR v fbomaslikomh ATTORNEYS T. H. DE SPAlN Sept. 10, 1957 HOSIERY STACKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1954 6 SheetsSheet 5 IN JENTOR 730/270: bf 0e J bdlh M 9 M ATTORNEYS Sept. 10, 1957 T. H. DE SPAIN 2,805,804

HOSIERY STACKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Thomas #08 6 2707 v ATTORNEYS p 1957 T. H. DE SPAIN 2,805,804

HOSIERY STACKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Sept. 10, 1957 T. H. DE SPAIN 2,805,804

HOSIERY STACKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1954 a Sheets-Sheet e BY W 9 AdTORNEYS l Q ,805 so HGSIERY STAGKHQG MACHINE Thomas H. De Spain, Paducah, Ky, assignor to Southern Textiie Machinery Co., incorporated, Federals, 33 a corporation of Kentucky Application August 12, 1954, Serial No. 449,421

' 9 Claims. c1. 223-47 This invention relates generally to machines for inspecting hosiery and more particularly concerns a hosiery stacking apparatus for automatically receiving and stacking hosiery following an inspection operation. 7

In hosiery inspection, it is sometimes desirable after inspection to transfer the hosiery to a receiver into which the hosiery is stacked in longitudinally outstretched relation. An accessory device for accomplishing this purpose is disclosed in Patent No. 2,722,348, granted November 1, 1955, upon application Serial No. 209,574 of Edward R. Ammon, filed February 6, 1951, and. in my copending application Serial No. 368,625, filed July 17, 1953. Both of these applications are assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

In my prior. application there is disclosed a hosiery inspection machine which includes an expansible and collapsible hosiery form on which the hosiery is inspected. If the hosiery is satisfactory, the operator actuates a pushbutton which initiates. a cycle of operation in which the hosiery is stripped from the form, turned right-side-out, and delivered to a receptacle. The stripping, turning and delivery cycle is controlled by a timing drum which causes the inspection form to be collapsed laterally, the toe of the hosiery being gripped between toe-gripping fingers which move together on the contraction of the inspection form. After contraction of the form, a stripping bar is moved by a conveyor to strip the hosiery'from the collapsed form. The .cyclic'control provided by the timing drum also includesthe actuation of air jets disposed adjacent the toe end of the form which blow the hosiery from the form into areceiving or turning tubepthereby causing the hosiery to'be turned right-side-out fro'nrthe inside-out position in which it was initially positioned on the inspection form. Air jets located at the mouth of the receiving tube are actuated to direct the hosiery through the length of the receiving tube whence it passes into a receiving receptacle, such as a bag connected to the discharge endof the receiving tube. p

The foregoing application discloses a stacking accessory device which may be used in conjunction with the inspection machine and turning tube hereinbefore described. With this accessory device, the hosiery instead of passing to a receptacle connected to the discharge end of the turning tube is removed from the mouth of the turning tube by'fin gers which grip the toe of the hosiery adjacent the mouth of the turning tube, withdraw the hosiery from the turning tubeand deposit the hosiery in stacked relation into asuitablereceptacle adjacent the receiving tube. The stacking accessory also includes a tamping device for tamping the stacked hosiery in the receptacle. 7

It is an object of this invention to provide a stacking and tamping device which may be used as an accessory toa hosiery inspection machine of. the type described in my prior application, and in substitution for the stacking V accessory device disclosed in that application.

his a further object of 'this invention to provide a stacking accessoryfor' use With hosiery inspection machines which is simple in construction and reliable in op-.

eration.

it is a still further object of this invention to provide a stacking accessory for use in conjunction with hosiery inspection machines in which the turning tube which receives the hosiery as it is stripped from the inspection form constitutes a component of the stacking assembly and performs the dual function of receiving the turned hosiery from the inspection form and also of stacking the hosiery in a suitable receiving receptacle disposed adjacent the turning tube. V

It is another object of this inventionto provide a hosiery stacking accessory which may be used with a hosiery inspection machine of the type disclosed in my application Serial No. 368,625, filed July 17, 1953, and which may have its operation coordinated with the timing cycle of 'the manner disclosed in my prior application, but in which the bottom portion of the tube. is automatically openable after the hosiery has been disposed in the tube in such'manner as to drop the hosiery into a receptacle disposed beneath the tube.

In the specific embodiment disclosed intbis application, the bottom half of the hosiery-receiving tube is divided into two arcuate segments which together form 180 degrees of the tube periphery when the bottom of the tube is closed. These two movable arcuate segments are at- .tached to spaced rotatable shafts geared to a driving motor through an electrically operated clutching device.

The respective arcuate segments are rotatable through an angle of 360 degrees from closed position in which they complete the cylindrical shape of the tube, to a dumping position in which the hosiery drops to a receptacle below through a tamping cycle in proper phase relation with respect to the opening of the bottom of the tube.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in ,conjunction .withthe accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. .1 is a side elevation view of a hosiery stacking apparatus in accordance with the invention, together with a fragmentary view of the associated hosiery inspection apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view, partially in section, of the inlet end of the stacking device, and also an enlarged fragmentary view of the associated hosiery inspection apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation view of the stacking apparatus 7 at the rear or gear box end of the apparatus, showing the movable portions of the hosiery-receiving tube in closed fis' posin'on;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View of the rear or gear box end of the apparat s, similar to the view in Fig. 3, but withthe relatively movable bottom portionsof the hosiery-receiving tube rotated through an arc of substantialiy degrees from their normal closed position to a position in which the hosiery has been dumped or dropped from the interior of th receiving tube;

Fig; 5 is a fragmentary end elevationview of the hosiery Patented Sept. 10,1957" stacking apparatus at the rear or gear box end of the apparatus with the movable bottom segments of the hosieryreceiving tube rotated substantially 45 degrees from their closed position to dumping position; v

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the inlet end of the stacking 'device showing the hosiery-receiving tube'in fully closed position;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation View of the apparatus at the gear box end.

Referring now to the drawings, the hosiery stacking apparatus is generally indicated at 19 and comprises an elongated hollow hosiery receiver such as the receiving 1 tube generally indicated at 12 having a length at least as long as that of the hosiery being inspected; and la supporting framework for the tube 12 generally indicated at 14. Supporting ramework 14 includes front and rear legs 16 and 18 respectively. Frontleg 16 includes a horizontally extending lateral portion 19 spaced a relatively short distance above the floor or supporting surface 20 and having connected at its opposite transverse ends a pair of short leg members 22 which extend downwardly, and outwardly in opposite transverse directions from the horizontal transverse member 19. A vertically extending 'leg portion 24 extends upwardly from one end .of the (se Fig. 4). Front and rear legs 16 and 18 are connected together by axially extending upper and lower cross braces 29. Diagonally extending cross braces 32 and vertical brace portions 33 also are connected between the top and bottom cross braces 2?. Rear leg 14 is also provided intermediate its height with a panel portion 37 (Fig. 3) which extends in the transverse space between the vertical leg portions 28 and provides a mounting surface fora drivingmotor to b hereinafter described.

While any suitable receptacle may be used to receive hosiery dropped from the receiving tube 12, the swiveling tray 25 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 has proved asatisfa-ctory and convenient device for this purpose. Tray 25 is an elongated hollow receptacle having a bottom and' sides.

but open at the top and ends, and is mounted on a relatively short. horizontal base member 27 having a downwardly' extending pin-receiving bearing 35. A vertical bracket member 31 is rigidly attached to one of the vertical brace portions 33 and is provided with a pin-receivthrough the bearings 35 and S9 to permit pivotal movementin a horizontal plane of the tray 25 with respect to' the supporting bracket 31.. This permits the tray 25 to be swung outwardly about its'pivotal axis to unload hosiery which has been dumped into the tray.

A gear box generally indicated at 49 is supported on the horizontally extending surface of the transverse member 15 6 of the rear leg 14. At the front end of the stacking apparatus and in'alignment with the gear box 40 is positioned a generally circular stacking tube support 42 having a'downwardly depending arm 44 that is rigidly attached to and supported by the inner end of the axially extending end portion 26 of the front leg. Both gear oasinglt) and stackingtube support 42 are provided with -a plurality of alimled passages to receive threaded tie rods'46 which. maintain the gear casing 49 and tube support 42 in assembled spaced relation to each other. Gear box' ld and tube support 4-2 are also provided with aligned bearing sockets or passages which receive a pair of spaced 'rotatably mounted shafts 48, and 50 whichsupport and 4 rotate the arcuate bottom segments of hosiery-receiving tube 12 as will be explained hereinafter.

Hosiery-receiving tube 12 comprises a fixed upper portion 52 that extends between gear box 44 and tube support 42 and is supported in axially extendingbearin-g surfaces in members 46 and 42. Fixed tube portion 52 has an arcuate extent of 180 degrees for the portion of its length between the gear box 46 and the tube support 42. For the relatively short portion of its length that extends into the bearing surface of tube support 42, fixed tube portion 52 may extend for nearly a complete circular arc. The outer peripheral surface of fixed upper tube portion 52 is disposed a short distance radially inwardly of tie rods 46 which extend between gear box 40 and tube support 4-2. The lower part of hosiery-receiving tube 12 formed of two rotatable arcuate segments 54 and 56 having the same radius of curvature as upper tube portion 52 and each extending for substantially 90 degrees of the periphery of tube 12 when the tube is in the closed position shown in Fig. 3. The length of movable 'arcuate portions54 and 56 is just slightly less than the distance between th facing surfaces of gear box 40 and of tube support 42. Thus, themovable tube portions 54 and 56 may freely rotate without en-gaging either the gear box 40 or the tube support 42. Tube segmen s 54 and 56 are each attached to spider members 58 which are rigidly mounted on rotatably supported shafts 43 and '50, respectively. A plurality of the spiders 58 may be mounted on each of the respective shafts 48 and 50 tosupport the respective tube segments. In the illustrated embodiment, three spider members 53 are shown mounted in 'ing bearing 39. Apin or bolt member may be passed I spaced relation along each respective shaft 48 and 50.

a At the rear, or gear box end of the stacking apparatus, each of the pivotally mounted shafts 48 and 50 extends into gear box 46 and has rigidly mounted thereon a helical gear 62 or 64. A shaft 66 extends through the gear box "40 transversely thereof in spaced relation to the shafts 48 and 50 perpendicularly to the axes thereof. Rigidly mounted on shaft 66 are a pair of helical gears 68 and 70 which are respectively in geared engagement with helical gears'62 and 64 on shafts 48 and 50. Shaft 66 projects beyond its supporting bearings on either side of the gear box 40. A friction disc 72 is rigidly attached to 'the right-hand projecting end of shaft 66 adjacent the of the same projecting end of shaft 66 in spaced relation outer surface of the. supporting bearing 74. A discto the friction disc 72. Member 76 serves as a retainer for a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially extend- 50" ing springs 78. A pulley member 86 is loosely positioned on the shaft 66 intermediate friction disc 72 and spring retainer 76. Spring retainer76 normally urges the loosely mounted pulley 80 into driving engagement with the friction disc 72. The opposite end of shaft 66 projects through the left-hand wall of gear box 40 with respect to the view shown in Fig.. 4 and carries on its outer .end an indexing ratchet member. 82 (Fig. 7) which 'is rigidly attached to and turns with the shaft 66. Indexing ratchet r 82 is provided with a shoulder 84 which engages a detent 9!) on the wall of the gear box 40. Pawl member 88 is shoulder 36 of a pawl member 88 pivotally. mounted at a normally biased upwardly as shown in the view of Fig.7

by a spring 92 which is supported at its upper end by pin member 94attached to the wall of gear box 40. When detent shoulder $601. pawl 88 engages shoulder 84 of ratchet 82, rotary movement of shaft 66 is prevented. V

p An electromagnetic solenoid 96 having a movable armature member 98'is mountedon the wall of the gear box 40 below pawl member 88. .The movable armature.

member 98 of the solenoid is connected to the outer end of pawl member, 88 by a link 1%. -When solenoid 96 is I energized. by the timing drum associated with. the hosiery inspection machine, as will be explained hereinafter, pawl 88 is pulled downwardly againstthe force of tension spring 92 in such'manner as to withdraw detent shoulder 86' of the pawl from engagement with shoulder 8415f ratchet 82', thereby permitting rotation- 015 shaft 6'61- A driving motor 102 is mounted on the interior's'urface of panel portion 32 of rear leg. assembly 14. Motor 102 drives pulley wheel 80 by means of a. pulley belt 104 through a suitable intermediate gearing 106;

A-packing or tamping. device generally indicated at 110 for packing the hosiery in the receivingreceptacle 25 is driven in synchronized relation tothemovement of tube segments 54 and 56. The packing device includes a pair of U-shaped arms 112 which are supported in spaced relation-on a pivoted shaft or'rod 1'14- supportedby bearings carried by the upper ends of vertical portions '24 and 28 of the front and rear legs. A weighted packing member 116'extends lengthwisebetween and is pivotally supported by the outer end of each of the U-shaped arms 112.

A crank member 118 is rigidly attached at the gear box end of the apparatus-tothe outer endof shaft 114 on which-tamping device 110 is supported.- A crank member 120 is rigidly attached to the end ofshaft 50 which carries tube segment 56. A connecting rodor pitman- 1-22 is pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the-outer ends of each of the respective cranks 1 18 and 1-20-se-that rotation of shaft 50 and of crank 120 imparts anoscillatory motion to shaft 114. Cranks'1-18 and- 120 are so angularly related to each other that duringthefirst 90 degrees of clockwise rotation of shaft 50 and crank-129 from the closed-position of the tube segments shown in Fig. 3 to the fully dumped position shownin Fig. 4 the' tamping device. is swung. in a counterclockwise directionaway from tamping. position and clear of the droppinghosiery. During the next 180 degrees of angular movement ofthe shaft 50 and of crank 120 from the position shown in Fig. 4, packing device 110' is swung. downwardly tothe dotted outline position shown at B in Fig. 5 to cause packing or tamping of the hosiery in the receptacle 25. During-the last 90 degrees of movement of shaft 50, the tamp'ing device moves upwardly from the position indicated' at B in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 3-.

In order to serve as a source of air supply to blow the hosiery into the receiving tube 12',- a perforated annular ring member 130 is mounted at the inlet end of the. stacking apparatus adjacent tube holder 42. Tube holder 42 is provided with an outwardly flared mouth portion 43 which aids in directing airinto the interior of tube 12'. A conduit 132 is connected to the inlet of the hollow annular member 130 and it itself connected to a source of air supply through a valve controlled bythe timing d'rum associated With the hosiery inspection machine.

Operation As explained in my aforementioned prior application Serial No. 368,625, if the hosiery being inspected on the inspection machine Zeb-shown inthe fragmentary view of Fig. l issatisfactory,- the operator of the machine actuates a push button which causes rotation of the good wor timing. drum (drum 143 in the prior specification). Rotation of'the' good 'wor timing drum starts a cycle of operation which causes the inspection form 202 to contract from its expanded condition and causes the toe lever 204 to poke the toe of the hosiery between a pair of toe-gripping fingers carried by the laterally contracting toe portions of form 292. This causes the toe of the hosiery to be gripped between the toe-gripping fingers. With the toe of the stocking gripped by the toe-gripping fingers, the timing drum causes movement of conveyor 206 which carries a stripping bar that strips the hosiery from the contracted form. When the hosiery has been nearly completely stripped from the form and while it is still being gripped at the toe, the timing drum actuates air jets disposed adjacent the toe end of the form and also actuates the air jet 139 at the inlet end of tube 12. These air jets cause the hosiery to be blown into the mouth or the inlet end of receiving tube 12. The timing drum then actuates a circuit which momentarily expands the inspection form and ermits the toe-gripping finger-s carried bythe inspection formto release the toe of the liosiery.- When this happens, aportion of the length of the hosiery isalready disposed in receiving tube- 1-2 and the release o'f't'h'e foe-portion of-the hosiery permits the air jets 1 30 to blow the remaining portion of the hosiery into the receiving tube so that the hosiery is positioned lengthwise along the bottom-surface of the tube.

At this pointin the cycle the timing drum closes a circuit which energizes solenoid 96 and causespawl 88 (Fig. 7) to-move downwardly against the force of biasing spring 92. This permits detent shoulder 86 of the pawl to become disengaged from shoulder 84- to ratchet 82 attached to shaft 66. During this entire period, motor 102 is energized and is rotating belt 104- which in turn rotates pulley on shaft 66-. However, as long as pawl 38 engages ratchet 82; shaft 66-is-prevented from rotating and pulley 80- turns freely on shaft 66 without effecting rotation thereof. When solenoid 96 is actuated to release pawl 88 from its engagement with ratchet 82, the spring retainer disc 76 urging the pulley 84) into engagement withthe friction disc 72-causes the pulley 8 0 to rotate the shaft 66'. Rotation of shaft 66 turns gears 68- and 70 which turn rotate their respective mating gears 62 and 64'. Rotation of gears 62 and 64 turns shafts 48 and 50 which carry the respective tube segments 54- and 56 and causes the respective tube segments 54 and 56 to rotate in a counterclockwise and a clockwise direction respectively, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4. The first degrees of rotation of'shafts-48- and 50 causes the tube segments 54 and 56 to move from the closed position shown in Fig. 3 to the fully dumped position shown in Fig. 4. Between the closed position of Fig. 3 and the position of Fig. 4 tube segments 54 and 56' move through the inter mediate dotted outline position indicated at A in Fig. 5", which corresponds to a 45-degree movement of the shafts 48 and 50 from their initial or rest position. It can be seen that hosiery which hes on the bottom surface of tube 12 when the tube is in the closed position of Fig. 3 will be dumped into the receiving receptacle 25 positioned below tube 12 during the movement of the tube segments 54' and SG-frorn' the position of Fig. 3 to that of Fig. 4.

During the first 90 degrees of movement of shaft 50 from itsrest position, arms 11-2 which support the tamping mernber 116 are-oscillated in a counterclockwise direction with-respect tothe view shown in-Fig. 4 away from a tampin'g position. Thus during the portion of the turning cycle of tube segments 54 and 56 in which the hosiery is being dropped, tamping member 116- is being swung out of the way of the dropping hosiery. During the following I'SO degrees of movement of tube segments 54' and 56 from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the full line-position indicated atB in Fig; 5, tamping device 116' is oscillated from its extreme-counterclockwise position shown in Fig.

'4 to itsex-treme clockwise position shown in-dotted' outline at Bin' Fig. 5, causing tamping member 116 to tamp or pack'the hosiery which has been dropped into the receiving. receptacle 25. During the last90 degrees-of movement of tube segments 54 and 56, the tamping device is swung in a counterclockwise direction to its intermediate position shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

Shaft 66 turns through a complete cycle of 360 degrees of rotation from the closed position shown in Fig. 3, and moves tube segments 54 and 56 successively through the positions shown in dotted outline at A in Fig. 5, in full line in Fig. 4 and in full line at B in Fig. 5. Shaft 66 and tube segments 54 and 56 finally return to the closed position shown in Fig. 3 to reform the closed cylinder in readiness for the repetition of the cycle for another article of hosiery. At the completion of the 360 degrees of rotation of shaft 66, pawl 88 engages ratchet 82 shown in Fig. 7 and shaft 66 is again locked against rotation until solenoid 96 is again actuated by the timing drum.

It can be seen from the foregoing that there is provided in accordance with this invention a stacking apparatus for use in conjunctionwith a hosiery inspection machine which is automatic in its operation and which can be coordinated with the automatic control system of a hosiery inspection machine such as that disclosed in prior application Serial No. 368,625. The stacking device of the inven- V tio'n is simple and e fiicient in operation and permits the receiving tube in which the hosiery is turned in accordance embodiment of theinvention it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within-the true spirit and scope of the invention. 7

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A hosiery stacking apparatus comprising a hollow hosiery receiver, an open receptacle beneath said receiver,

means for positioning hosiery in said receiver, first means connected to said hosiery receiver for opening the bottom of said receiver to cause hosiery to drop from said receiver into said receptacle, and second means driven in synchronized relation to said first means for tamping hosiery in said receptacle after operation of said first means.

2. A hosiery stacking apparatus comprising a generally cylindrical hollow hosiery receiver having its longitudinal axis normally disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, the bottom portion of said receiver comprising a pair of arcuate wall segments having a closed position in which they complete the cylindrical shape of said receiver, each shape of said receiver, each of said segments being attached to a shaft spaced radially outwardly of the outer periphery of said receiver, and power-operated means for rotating said shafts through a complete revolution to rotate said segments in an arcuate path to cause hosiery disposed in said receiver to drop from said receiver and to thereafter rotate said segments back to their original closed position to reform the cylindrical shape of said receiver. a

4. A hosiery stacking apparatus comprising a cylindrical hollow hosiery receiver, means for positioning hosiery in said receiver, the bottom portion of said receiver comprising a pair of arcuate segments having a closed position which completes the cylindrical shape of said receiver, said segments being attached to and movable with separate spaced shafts extending parallel to the axis of said receiver but spaced radially outwardly of the outer surfaceof said receiver and power means for moving each of said shafts to swing said arcuate segments away fram said closed. position to permit dropping from said receiver of hosiery'disposed therein andto thereafter rotate said arcuate segments back to said closed position to reform said cylindrical hosiery receiver.

5. A hosiery stacking apparatus as defined in claim 4,

in which said spaced shafts are connected to said p ower means through a clutch device;

6. A hosiery stacking apparatus comprising a cylin drical hollow hosiery receiver, means for positioning hosiery in said receiver, said receiver normally being disposed with its longitudinal axis in a substantially horizontal plane, the bottom portion of'said receiver comprising a pair of arcuate segments having a closed position which normally completes the cylindrical shapeof said receiver, each of said segments being rotatably movable about a-separate axis spaced radially outwardly of the outer surface of said receiver, power means for moving said segments about their 'respective axes to open the bottom of said receiver, and clutch means connecting said segments to said power means for a single revolution of said segments about their respective axes.

7. A hosiery stacking apparatus comprising an elongated hollow cylindrical hosiery receiver for receiving hosiery in longitudinally outstretched relation from a hosiery inspection device, the bottom portion of said re ceiver including a pair of arcuate segments which normally complete the cylindrical shape of said receiver, said segments being mounted on and movable with spaced shafts extending parallel to the axis of said receiver, power means for rotating said shafts, and means for connecting Said shafts to said power means to cause rotation of 'said arcuate segments from closed to open position and back to closed position whereby hosiery disposed within said 'receiver is dropped from said receiver and whereby said cylindrical shape of said receiver is subsequently reformed by rotation of said segments back to closed position.

8. A hosiery stacking apparatus as defined in claim 7, having a tamping device operated by said power means in timed relation to the movement of said arcuate segments to tamp hosiery dropped from said receiver.

9. A hosiery stacking apparatus as defined in claim 7,

in which said spaced shafts are respectively rotated through an angle of 360 degrees to move said arcuate segments from closed to open position and back to closed position.

2,454,622 Ammon Nev. 23, 1948 2,684,187 Kienel n July 20, 1954 V FOREIGN PATENTS 217,980 Great Britain June 24, 1924 

